Ni no kuni

[dadevvtsvre]

Ni no kuni is an upcoming RPG being developed by Level 5 (maker of a few Dragon Quests, Dark Cloud, and the awesome Professor Layton games) being released for the Nintendo DS and Playstation 3. The DS version is being released in December and the PS3 version some time in 2011. It has recently been confirmed that a Western release for both games

I usually really don't like the whole anime aesthetic in games but Ni no kuni is being animated by Studio Ghibli (maker of some of my favourite films like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Castle in the Sky) which makes me really excited!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68bYWUOEXs8
The player assumes the role of a 13 year-old boy named Oliver, a resident of Hotroit city whose mother Arie dies suddenly. A doll previously given to Oliver by his mother reveals itself to be a male fairy named Shizuku, who gives Oliver a magic book that allows him to go to the world of "Ninokuni," a reality parallel to his own, where the fairy states the boy may be able to revive his mother. There he encounters alternate versions of people he knows.

The Nintendo DS and PS3 versions are essentially games with differing gameplay, but having similar stories set in the same world.

As far as gameplay goes, it is a mix between pokemon and tales games. You go around catching monsters that you face and equip them with weapons to make them stronger. Also, movement around the battlefield is important and you freely move your characters during matches.

What do you guys think of it?

 

[Jason]

Oh come on Devy, you could've atleast added more videos to this! There's more than just one, I'm sure of it!

But yeah, Studio Ghibli, what can I say... love 'em, two of my favourite anime films (I dislike anime as a rule, but I quite like some of the films if they're not based off series') are made by 'em, these being Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle...

This game looks extremely interesting, and from the PS3 gameplay I've seen (I'm getting PS3 version, might pick up DS though), it looks beautiful, and seems to have a pretty weird take on the "mother died" JRPG cliché...

Let's just hope it's as good as it looks when it's released...

 

[dadevvtsvre]

I forgot to mention that the score for this game is being composed by Joe Hisaishi, who's also done the music for Ghibli films like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.

 

[Jason]

Lol yeah I noticed that, which is also a big plus, since I love the music of Howl's Moving Castle...

 

[moxie]

I don't particularly care for most anime or jrpgs either, especially fantasy ones - Eternal Sonata, Tales of __, and the like either bore me to tears or make me want to put a controller through the tv - but the fact that it's Studio Ghibli working on it gives me a lot of hope. It looks very cute and whimsical, and the music does a lot for the atmosphere.

Unfortunately I'll probably be sitting this one out since I don't have a PS3. I have a DS, but when you have lovely visuals like this, it seems like it would be a waste to play the "condensed" version.

 

[bashful crobat]

I will definetly get this when it eventually happens in the uk (lol never most likely)

 

[mawk]

whoah, celshading looks really good when they're mimicking miyazaki's shading style! if you took still frames from any part of the trailer, they'd stand a good chance of being mistaken for something hand-drawn.

wish there was a little more about the game itself, but I guess it's still early. the visuals are pretty badass, at least.

 

[Jason]

I'm bumping this back up since I have some new videos for you guys to watch... seven of them actually...

http://www.gamezone.com/news/check-out- ... -cutscenes
http://www.gamezone.com/news/here-are-f ... ni-no-kuni

They're all in there, but if people really don't want to click the link, here you are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrxCaoH0elk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJBJl1QhMEQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKO3c96xTko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS1w2EIJuqo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz72hXkuWOo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1S44eLQ9wk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyAhNuG8DZY

... Enjoy

 

[Jason]

Like I said in the "What are you playing" thread... masterpiece.

 

[Jason]

I'm bumping this yet again, there's a new English trailer that's been released!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R4LRcrSyGI

The English voice acting sounds pretty decent so far, love the little dudes welsh accent, he sounds like my mates dad, lol

 

[bacon]

This comes out tomorrow for fellow americans anyone planning on getting it and playing it?

 

[JD_Slasha]

I am, hopefully I won't be too busy this week to get some hours in

 

[Mega Flare]

i plan on getting it one day... its just too me i wasnt a big fan of the demo and it made me want to wait till at least 40bucks

 

[bacon]

its kind of grindy but its pretty typical jrpg grind.
It takes forever for combat to evolve. Ive probably played maybe 8 hours in and i just got the second character and we still havent gotten to catching monsters yet.
But the game is so immersive.
Im only at like level 13 which really isnt that high of a level compared to how you get experience points.
A lot of my time has been spent doing side quests
they are really cute
and its just fun running around looking at things

 

[Mega Flare]

I got the game today but got a good deal. Paid only 30 for it. Traded two pizzas. Yay

 

[united washcloth express]

This is pretty much Jade Caccoon 2 :/

 

[bacon]

Just finished hamelin and finally got the transportation spell (it took forever to get to fast travel)
I like combat. It's starting to get a difficult as even tiny mistakes can put on some hurt.
It's a very charming game still.

 

[dadevvtsvre]

Wow. I can't believe it's been nearly 3 years since I made this thread.

Dunno when I'll get the chance to play this game. I already waste enough time playing Far Cry 3 so I'm thinking I might just hold off until summer or something so it doesn't suck up more time than I already waste. Wanna play this so bad but I've waited years for it already so I figure a few more months will be alright.

 

[united washcloth express]

The world will end and you will never get to play it.

You will look back and constantly wonder, "What if?"